Pumpkin Tortellini Soup with Sausage (Printable)

Creamy pumpkin soup with cheese tortellini, chicken sausage, and kale. Perfect autumn comfort in a bowl.

# Ingredient List:

→ Produce

01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 cups pumpkin puree
05 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
06 - 4 cups chopped kale, stems removed
07 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

→ Meats

08 - 12 ounces chicken sausage, sliced into ½-inch rounds

→ Pasta

09 - 9 ounces cheese tortellini, fresh or refrigerated

→ Dairy

10 - ½ cup heavy cream

→ Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
14 - Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

→ Garnish

15 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
16 - Chopped fresh parsley, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and carrot; sauté 4-5 minutes until softened.
02 - Add minced garlic and sliced chicken sausage; cook 3-4 minutes until sausage is lightly browned.
03 - Stir in pumpkin puree, chicken broth, dried thyme, ground nutmeg, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
04 - Add chopped kale and cheese tortellini; simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes until tortellini are tender and kale is wilted.
05 - Lower heat and stir in heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes as desired.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, which means weeknight dinners suddenly feel intentional instead of rushed.
  • The chicken sausage gives you protein and flavor without demanding much of your attention.
  • Pumpkin puree makes everything creamy without needing to stress about getting the ratio of cream to broth exactly right.
02 -
  • Don't skip removing the kale stems because they stay tough even when everything else is tender, and that texture breaks the experience.
  • Add the cream after you've taken the pot off the heat to prevent the soup from boiling and breaking the cream's silky texture.
03 -
  • Make this soup on a Sunday and it tastes even better on Wednesday because all the flavors have time to get to know each other in the refrigerator.
  • If you're using frozen tortellini instead of fresh, add an extra minute to the cooking time and stir gently so they don't stick together.
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